Darren Almond's First French Solo Show at Galerie Chantal Crousel
Darren Almond kicked off his first solo exhibition in France at Galerie Chantal Crousel in Paris, running from October 29 to December 24, 2005. The show features a series of black-and-white photographs and video works that explore themes of memory, history, and stark landscapes. Included are two photographic series: '69th Parallel' (2005), showcasing a desolate glacial scene with scattered tree trunks, and 'Minus 60,000' (2005), which reveals a snow-covered bridge that has collapsed. The title references the 60,000 forced laborers who died while building a railway from Norilsk to Dudinka. Almond also displays 'Fullmoon @Yenisey Mouth' (2003), a moonlit image of the Yenisey River estuary, along with the 8-minute video 'Arctic Pull' (2003). The exhibition features lines from poet Joseph Brodsky and additional video installations, underscoring Almond's neo-romantic style that reflects vulnerability and a yearning for humanity.
Key facts
- Darren Almond's first solo exhibition in France at Galerie Chantal Crousel, Paris, from October 29 to December 24, 2005.
- The show includes black-and-white photographs '69th Parallel' (2005) and 'Minus 60,000' (2005).
- 'Minus 60,000' references the 60,000 forced laborers who died building the Norilsk–Dudinka railway in Siberia.
- Norilsk was a gulag site until 1953 and a major nickel extraction center.
- 'Fullmoon @Yenisey Mouth' (2003) was shot with a 10-minute exposure by full moonlight.
- Video 'Arctic Pull' (2003, 8 min) shows Almond dragging a camera through the polar night.
- Two metal plaques quote poet Joseph Brodsky, who was sentenced to forced labor and exiled.
- Video installations 'Traction' (1999) and 'If I had you' (2003) were also exhibited; the latter was shown at the 2005 Turner Prize.
Entities
Artists
- Darren Almond
- Joseph Brodsky
Institutions
- Galerie Chantal Crousel
- Turner Prize
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Norilsk
- Dudinka
- Siberia
- Yenisey River
Sources
- artpress —